Crisis Management

Here are some examples of how pathogens can be transferred to food from a contaminated surface or from another food:

• RTE food touches a contaminated surface
• Contaminated wiping cloths are used on food-contact surfaces
• Contaminated food touches or drips onto RTE food
• Staff touch contaminated food and then touch RTE food
• Contaminated food is combined with another food and NOT cooked

What risk factor is demonstrated by these examples?

What should be done with food that has NOT been presented honestly?

If service was stopped due to a crisis in your operation, besides correcting the problem, what should you ensure before requesting approval from your local regulatory authority to resume service?

What risk must be evaluated immediately if your operation is affected by one of these emergencies?

• Power failure
• Fire
• Flood
• Sewer backup

Specific requirements must be met at each step to par cooking food. What should the written procedures explain about these requirements to get approved by the local regulatory authority?

What are some situations that require corrective action to throw out the food?

How will you know if a product you purchased is recalled by the manufacturer?

Damaged, spoiled, or incorrectly stored food?

When the temperature of hot food falls into the Temperature Danger Zone (TDZ), sometimes it can be restored to a safe condition by reheating it. This is called “reconditioning.” But when the food has been at an unsafe temperature for too long, reconditioning will NOT work. How much time can food spend in the Temperature Danger Zone (TDZ) and still be reconditioned?

What happens when TCS food remains between 41°F and 135°F for too long?

What is corrective action?

Food being held for service must have its internal temperature checked at least every four hours. But why is it better to check the temperature every two hours instead?

What should you do if you suspect someone has consumed a chemical contaminant?

When the crisis in your operation is resolved and the risks to food safety are removed, who do you need approval from to resume service?

What situation requires food to be thrown out unless it can be reconditioned?

What is it called when you are notified by a vendor and asked to return or discard a specific food item that you may have purchased?

If a guest claims that your establishment made them sick, ask them to help you complete a foodborne-illness incident report. What information should the report include?

What are some problems with the packaging of food that require the food to be discarded?

First, notify your local regulatory authority if your operation has been involved in a foodborne illness outbreak. If any of the suspected products remain, how should they be segregated until they are collected by investigators for testing?

Which decision is based on where the infected cut or burn is located on a food handler?

How can you know when there is a Food Recall Notice for a product you use in your operation?

If you suspect a food item may have been the source of a foodborne illness, what should you do with it?

What should be done if food has exceeded the time and temperature requirements that keep it safe?

Which of these threats to your operations drinkable water supply are a risk to food safety?

When there is a food recall, and you must store unsafe food until it can be returned to the vendor, what should you do to prevent it from contaminating the other food in your operation?

When a wound or boil is located on the body (NOT hands or arms), what kind of bandage should it be covered with?

Why do salads containing these previously cooked TCS foods need to be handled with special care?

• Leftover eggs
• Leftover tuna
• Leftover pasta
• Leftover chicken
• Leftover potatoes

How should a cut or burn be covered if it’s on the arm?

Which is a possible threat to your operations drinkable water supply?

Management oversight is essential to implementing active managerial control. What is the purpose of management oversight?

Food contaminated by bare hands or bodily fluids must be thrown out. What should be done with food handled by a staff member who was excluded for illness?

What should be done with expired, damaged, spoiled, or incorrectly stored food that has become unsafe?

What should you do if an employee is doing a task incorrectly?

What term do local regulatory authorities use to describe “a significant threat or danger to health that requires immediate correction or closure of the operation to prevent injury”?

What can happen if food is time-temperature abused?

These are the five most common causes of foodborne illness:

• Purchasing food from unsafe sources
• Failing to cook food correctly
• Holding food at incorrect temperatures
• Using contaminated equipment
• Practicing poor personal hygiene

What does ServSafe call these?

What is part of the “Identifying Staff” procedure when responding to a foodborne illness outbreak?

What is a foodborne illness outbreak, according to the centers for disease control and prevention (cdc)?

Which statement is true about the illness caused by Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli bacteria?

Corrective action is essential to implementing active managerial control. When should you take corrective action with an employee?

What should be done with food and food-contact surfaces that may have been contaminated by unwashed hands?

What should you do when a food handler has a cut or burn that has become infected?

What is Anaphylaxis?

What happens when food is handled in these ways?

• Cooled incorrectly
• Reheated incorrectly
• Held at an incorrect temperature
• Cooked to an incorrect temperature

Which government agencies help the local regulatory authorities investigate outbreaks?

What areas of the operation should have restricted access for unauthorized people?

What are some threats to the safety of food in your operation?

What is an example of a threat to the physical security of your operation that could be a risk to food safety?

How do you know when the manufacturer recalled a food product used in your operation?

What happens when these criteria are met?

• A single food source is blamed for the same symptoms in multiple people
• Regulatory authorities perform an investigation
• Lab tests verify that the food is the source of the illness

What should you do if the manufacturer recalls a product used in your operation?

After a crisis in your operation, throw out any food that could be contaminated. What is another reason to throw out food?

When a vendor notifies you that your operation has been affected by a Food Recall, how can the recalled food item be identified in your inventory?

Safe food is at risk of contamination if products recalled by the manufacturer are stored near it. How should recalled food items be kept until the instructions for their handling can be followed?

What is the first thing you must determine if a crisis occurs in your operation?

A product has been matched to the information provided in a food recall notice and removed from inventory by placing it in a secure location. How should the recalled product be labeled?

How long can food be held without temperature control before it must be served or thrown out?

How can you ensure that recalled food items are NOT used or returned to inventory by mistake?

When responding to a foodborne illness outbreak, what is the proper procedure for segregating the product (if any remains)?

What may be necessary when food handlers are NOT following proper handwashing procedures?

What should you do if you suspect that someone may have consumed chemicals?

When may the following measures be necessary?

• Regain temperature control of TCS food
• Restore the physical security of the operation
• Clean and sanitize surfaces
• Confirm the safety of your water supply

What should be done with moldy food unless the mold is a natural part of the food?

Which of these are things that you should do when responding to a possible foodborne illness outbreak?

Food handlers with infected cuts or burns that are NOT covered properly should be restricted from working with food or food contact surfaces. How should cuts and burns be covered?

Unauthorized people inside your operation are a risk to food safety. When is this especially true?

What should you do if you see a food handler who is NOT following proper handwashing procedures?

Which corrective action should be taken if a food handler did NOT follow proper handwashing procedures?

Continuing service after a emergency?

What happens if food spends too much time in the Temperature Danger Zone (TDZ)?

Why should spoiled food be thrown out quickly?

If you receive a food recall notice, identify the food items in your inventory by matching them with the information provided. What kind of information will you be looking at?

If you determine a significant risk to food safety due to a crisis in your operation, what should be done immediately?

When “Identifying Staff” in response to a foodborne illness outbreak, what should you do with the staff who were scheduled at the time of the incident?

You can verify that the cooler is working by randomly checking the temperature of the food stored inside. What should you do with the food if it’s NOT at the correct temperature?

Which of these are emergencies that could affect your operation?

When food is restored to a safe condition by reheating it, what is this called?

What should a manager do with a food product if they suspect that it could be the source of a foodborne illness outbreak?

How do you know when to re-train staff?

Which is a ServSafe guideline for monitoring time-temperature?

What should you do if staff are using or storing chemicals or cleaning tools incorrectly?

Contamination of the water supply by terrorists or activists is possible. What is a more common way the water supply could be contaminated?

What happens when produce touches a surface that raw meat, seafood, or poultry has touched?

Instructions for what to do with the recalled item will be in the vendor’s notification or the recall notice. What might you be instructed to do with it?

What should you do when confronted with a crisis in your operation?

How should an infected cut or burn be covered if it’s on the arm?

What can happen during a power failure or a refrigeration problem?

What is reconditioning food?

In what situation does a food item need to be labeled with “Do NOT use/Do NOT discard” and then stored separately from other food?

What should you focus on when training and monitoring staff?

What situations could cause a manufacturer to request a food recall?

How should a cut or burn be covered if it’s on the hand or wrist?

Which government agencies conduct research into the causes of foodborne illness outbreaks?

A manufacturer may issue a recall notice when contamination is suspected or confirmed in a food product. What is another reason a manufacturer could issue a food recall?

What should you do if a customer has a severe allergic reaction to food?

When holding cold food without temperature control, what should be done if the food temperature becomes higher than 70°F during service?

What should be done if food contact surfaces are NOT cleaned and sanitized correctly?

When a crisis occurs in your operation, you must determine if there is a significant risk to the safety or security of the food. What’s your immediate course of action when such a risk exists?

What corrective action steps should be taken if a food handler did not follow handwashing procedures?

Which of these are emergencies that could affect your operation?

When should you re-train staff?

Once the recalled food items have been identified, remove them from inventory and keep them in a secure and appropriate place like a cooler or dry storage area. What does the recalled food item need to be stored separately from?